Once Upon A Time
by The Vampire's Missus
Summary: A TB children's story. Really, it is. I can't help it if you have a filthy mind...


Once Upon A Time

Once upon a time, there was a young steam engine called Nicky. He wanted to grow up to be a big, strong train engine. Finally the day came when he was accepted into Train Training School. With a gay toot, he bid his parents farewell and set off to learn all there was about becoming a real train.

Nicky looked around the school in excitement, watching the multi-coloured trains whiz by.

"Okay, settle down everyone!", came a voice. All the young engines turned to see the engineer walk up and stand in front of him. Nicky smiled and immediately wanted to learn everything he could learn from the man.

"Right, my name's Smiffy. I'll be taking you through Train Training. So just pay attention and you'll all be on the rails in no time.", The man paced up and down as he spoke. All the young engines looked at him adoringly.

The engines listened carefully as Smiffy explained the lessons, finally announcing the practical part. He called over the engineers and they climbed onto the engines. Nicky was very pleased that Smiffy had climbed aboard him, and he blew his whistle in joy.

Smiffy wriggled an eyebrow, "Calm down young engine. The whistle only gets blown on special occasions!"

The weeks of Train Training flew by, and soon the holidays had come. Nicky and some other engines celebrated by racing each other along the tracks. The friends gathered behind the sheds and chatted excitedly.

One of the older engines called Neil came over and tooted several times in greeting, "Hey kids, lets have some real fun!"

He tooted a melody and one of the engineers sidled up and aboard him. The man started putting something in Neil's boiler, producing a sweet smoke.

Neil wheezed a toot and smiled, "C'mon, who wants to try some?"

Some of the young engines shrugged and decided they'd rather be somewhere else. Nicky watched the others slowly trundle away and turned back to Neil.

"Let's have a go!", Nicky cried.

The man laughed and started putting the brownish substance in Nicky's boiler. Nick felt light-headed and smiled.

"Good stuff, eh?", Neil smiled.

Nicky decided to roll around the circular tracks, but got stuck in reverse. He giggled as he rolled backwards in a circle, Neil and the man started laughing.

Nicky was still giggling and didn't hear Neil and the man leaving. He was surprised to hear Smiffy's voice yelling, "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?"

The next thing Nicky knew, Smiffy was aboard him and making him stop. Nicky blinked, "We were only having some fun..."

Smiffy glared at him, "It's not fun if you roll off the side of a mountain when you've been smoking that stuff! You could kill people like that!"

Nicky stood still and quietly replied, "I'm sorry...he didn't say it could be dangerous...he said it'd be fun."

Smiffy sighed, "Okay, just tell me who gave it to you. They shouldn't take advantage of young engines like you."

Nicky paused, then replied, "One of the older engines. His name's Neil. And one of the engineers, Phil I think. Am I in trouble?"

Smiffy raised an eyebrow, "They're trouble, but not for much longer. I'm going to keep an extra eye on you from now on. I'll be your engineer all the time and I'll personally stoke your boiler."

Nicky smiled at the idea of spending more time with Smiffy. He liked how Smiffy knew just how much to put in his boiler, and when to stoke it more. Nicky couldn't resist tooting for joy.

"Sorry! I know I'm not supposed to toot, but I'm so relieved. I won't get into trouble again. I promise!", Nicky cried.

Smiffy nodded, "Okay, just as long as you've learnt your lesson."

As the months passed, Nicky was always eager to please Smiffy, and kept to his promise. One day, they were out on an exercise half-way up a mountain. Smiffy kept a firm hand on Nicky's gear-stick as they climbed along the track. Nicky loved the journey and smiled at the cows in the fields below. At the top of the mountain, there was a small shed. Smiffy stopped them there and jumped off to put the kettle on for his lunch.

All too soon it was time to return, and Nicky trundled out of the shed just as it started to rain. They set off down the mountain as Smiffy kept an eye on the speed.

"Careful Nicky. It's slippery when wet!", Smiffy called out.

Nicky remembered the lessons and took extra care. He slowed as they rounded a corner and stopped as he saw a tree lying across the tracks. Smiffy looked out from the engine and sighed. He scratched his head and jumped off and walked over to it.

Nicky called out, "You can't move that by yourself, tie it to me and I'll reverse. Then we can push it out the way."

Smiffy smiled, "Just what I was going to suggest. Clever boy!"

They managed to move the tree with a little effort and they soon set off again.

As they approached a tunnel, Nicky turned on his headlights. He loved tunnels, so did Smiffy. They chugged merrily along and Nicky tooted his whistle as he'd learnt to do, then began to get worried as the sound echoed back.

Smiffy watched the meters and frowned, "Oi! Why you stopping?"

Nicky had slowed right down and was just crawling along now, "There's another train ahead of us!"

Smiffy peered ahead, "I can't see it's tail light..."

Nicky cried out in fear, "They're coming at us!" He began to reverse as Smiffy quickly changed the gears.

Smiffy tried to think of how far they had to reverse until the next switch, hoping that the other train would see them and stop long before then. He gasped as the other train drew closer, it was Neil and he was going even faster!

Neil growled a long toot at Nicky as he desperately reversed away. Neil was a bigger engine and could cause a lot of damage. Smiffy watched Phil making rude gestures at him and swore quietly. He glanced back to check where the switch was. If they were lucky, they'd make it.

Nicky called back to Smiffy, "Jump clear! Save yourself!"

Smiffy called back, "No! We'll make it! When I say so, slow right down so I can change to switch."

Smiffy watched as they drew closer, "Okay, now!" He held on tight as they braked, then leapt off. He threw the switch and the track moved.

Neil clipped Nicky as he hurtled past. Both trains flew off the rails and Neil flew over the mountainside. Smiffy listened as Phil's screams echoed through the valley. Smiffy rushed over to Nicky and patted his side.

Nicky wheezed a toot, "Are you okay?"

Smiffy nodded, "Don't worry about me! Are you okay?"

Nicky's wheels turned slightly, "I feel a bit wobbly..."

Eventually help came and Nicky was taken back to be nursed back to health. The engineers couldn't fix him enough to be a passenger train, so he was given a job at the playground, taking children for rides on weekends. Smiffy always was the engineer and would never let anyone else board Nicky. Nicky loved his job and tooted joyously all day long.


End file.
